Floating and cementing device for well casings



June 21, 1932. R. c. BAKER 1,863,613

FLOAT ING AND CEMENTING DEVICE FOR WELL CASINGS Filed Dec. 9, 1931 I INVENTOR. 2O 2% Wm g 5 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REUBEN C. BAKER, OF COALINGA, CALIFORNIA, .ASSIGNOR TO BAKER OIL TOOLS, INC.,

OF HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA' FLOATING AND CEMENTING DEVICE FOR WELL CASINGS Application filed. December 9, 1931.

- the plug, but prevents the return of the fluid upwardly through the plug into the casing, These prior devices utilized a flotation type of ball valve which cooperated with its seat to check the return flow of fluid upwardly through the plug and into the casing. This ball valve was loosely mounted in a valve chamber formed interiorly of the plug.

Itis the principal object of the present invention toprovide an improved plug of the character referred to wherein a guided valve member is used in lieu of a ball valve, which guided valve member will be positive in operation and guided in its opening and closing movement.

In practicing the invention, a cylindrical valve chamber is formed within the cementitious plug and communicates with passageways formed through the upper and lower ends thereof. Formed in this valve chamber are a plurality of spaced and radially inwardly projecting lu the inner faces of which form a guide fi r a hollow stem of a vertical reciprocable valve. This valve has a conical face which cooperates with a valve seat at one end of thevalve chamber to check the back flow of fluid upwardly through the plug. When the valve is unseated, the valve head abuts against the up er ends of the lugs mentioned but is ins cient in area to obstruct the open spaces between the lugs. This enables the flmd being pumped downwardly through-the casing to pass around the valve between the lugs and downwardly through the plug.

One form which the invention may assume Serial No. 579,875.

is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section through a floating and cementing shoe embodying the preferred form of my invent-ion.

Fig. 2'is a transverse section therethrough taken on line II-II of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve member.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a casing shoe 10 which is cylindrical and Within which a cementitious plug 11 is cast or otherwise formed and secured. To securely anchor the cementitious plug 11 in the shoe or collar, the shoe is interiorly grooved so that interlocking connections will be formed between the same and the plug 11 cc .nat the plug and shoe will be inseparably united.

It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to either a casing shoe or casing collar, and while I have illustrated 1t as embodied as a casing shoe, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to this use. 7

Embedded within the cementitious plug 11 is a valve cage 14 which is formed of bakelike or similar non-metallic friable material. This valve cage is properly located and secured within the cementitious plug during the casting of the latter. The valve cage assembly 14 referred to comprises a cylindrical housing 15, the upper end of which is formed with a port 16 which is arranged coaxially of the housing 15 and in alignment with a passageway 17 formed coaxially through the upper end of the cementitious plug 11. The lower .end of the housing 15 is open and interiorly threaded,-

The valve cage also includes a cylinder 18 which is of an. interior diameter just slightly less than the interior diameter of the housing 15, which cylinder is exteriorly threaded at its upper end to engage the interior threads of Y the housing 15, which connection causes the upper end of the cylinder 18 to telescope.

within the lower end of the housing 15.

Formed-as an integral part of the cylinder 18 are three lugs 19 which are arranged interiorly of the cylinder adjacent the upper end thereof. These lugs are spaced apart circumferentially and project radially inwardly equal distances. The interior faces of these lugs constitute a guide for a large tubular valve stem of a valve member 21. At the upper end of the stem 20 is a valve head 22 which is conical in form. The conical surface of the valve head 22 is adapted to coo erate with a conical valve seat 23 formed a out the lower end of the port 16 in the upper end of the housing 15. The

' valve head is of a diameter less than the in- 7 through the passageway 17, the port 16 into the valve chamber of the housing 15, may

freely pass. from the valve chamber into the cylinder 18 and outwardly through the lower end of the plug through a passageway 24 formed in the lower end of the plug in alignment with the interior of the cylinder 18. The housing 15, the valve member 21 and the cylinder 18 are all formed of bakelite or similar non-metallic material.

When the plug is being constructed, the shoe or collar is arranged in a mold. The

. housing 15 and the cylinder 18 are then assembled together with the valve member 21 positioned correctly therein and the entire valve cage assembly is then properly supported within the mold in a proper position relative to the shoe or collar. The cementitious material is then poured to form the plug 11. When the cementitious material has set, the valve cage will be embedded therein and supported thereby in correct position The passageways 17 and 24 are, of course,

formed by the use of cores or other suitablemeans during the casting of the plug 11. The housing 15 and the cylinder 18 are provided with spaced circumscribing flanges to insure a proper connection between the plug 11 and the valve cage assembly.

In operation of the device, -it is connected with a string of well casing and when the casing is being lowered into the hole, the fluid pressure entering the lower open end of the hollow valve stem 20 will exert an upward pressure on the valve member and seat the same. .This seating action will also be aided by the buoyancy of the valve member.

After the casing has been properly positioned and it is desired to cement, the cement slurry is pumped downwardly through the well casin and as it passes through the passageway 1 it will unseat the valve member -difierence in diameters of the valve head 22 21. The valve member will move to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, at which time the valve head 22 will abut against the upper ends of the lugs 19. Due to the and the interior'of the cylinder 18, and also due to the fact that the lugs 19 project upwardly a short distance above the upper end of the cylinder 18, the cement'slurry will freely pass around the valve and stem and discharge through the lower end of the device.

When the cementing operation has been discontinued and the pump pressure relieved, the

pressure of the cement will engage the valve and the latter will be moved to seating position. The seating action of the valve will, of course, be aided by its buoyancy but the back pressure of the cement entering the large diameter hollow stem of the valve member 21 will be the principal agent in causing seating of the valve. It will be noticed that the valve stem is of comparatively large diameter and is formed with a chamber extending upwardly from its lower end and terminating at the point where the stem joins the valve head. The stem in effect acts as a plunger to close the valve.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an improved floating and cementing device for well casings and while I have shown the preferred form of my inven tion, it is to be understood that various eluding a cementitious plug, a valve chamber formed interiorly thereof, an upper passageway extending from the interior of the valve chamber through the upper endof the plug, a lower passageway extending from the interior of the valve chamber through the lower end of the plug, a plurality of lugs projecting radially inwardly from the periphery of the valve chamber at a point adjacent the junction between the lower passageway and the valve chamber, said lugs being circumferentially spaced, a valve member having a valve stem guided for vertical reciprocation by the inner faces of said lugs, a valve head at the upper end of said stem, said valve head ,having a valve face to cooperate with a valve seat formed at the junction between the upper passageway and the valve chamber, said valve stem being comparatively large in diameter and hollow,

ed in 100 1. A device of the character described in- 1 ber formed interiorly thereof, an upper passagewa extending from the interior of the valve 0 amber through the upper end of the plug, a lower passageway extending from the interior of the valve chamber through the lowerend of the plug, a plurality of lugs projecting radially inwardly from the periphery of the valve chamber at a point adjacent the junction between the lower assageway and the valve chamber, said ugs being circumferentially spaced, a valve member having a valve stem guided for vertical reciprocation by the inner faces of said lugs, a valve head at the upper end of said stem, said valve head having a valve face to cooperate with a valve seat formed at the junction between the upper passageway and the valve chamber, said valve head bein conical in form and of a diameter less t an the diameter of the lower passageway but greater than the diameter of the valve stem whereby when in unseated position it will abut against the upper ends of said lugs.

3. A device of the character described including a cementitious plug, a valve chamber formed interiorly thereof, an upper passageway extending from the interior of the valve chamber through the upper end of the plug, a lower passageway extending from the interior of the valve chamber through the lower end of the plug, a plurality of lugs roj ecting radially inwardly from the perip ery of the valve chamber at a point adjacent the junction between the lower passageway and the valve chamber, said lugs being circumferentially spaced, a valve member having a valve stem guided for vertical reciprocation by the inner faces of said lugs, a valve head at the upper end of said stem, said valve head having a valve face to cooperate with a valve seat formed at the junction between the upper passageway and the valve chamber, said valve stem being com arativel large in diameter and hollow, the ower en of the valve stem being open, the upper end thereof bein closed by the valve head, said valve head being of a diameter less than the diameter ofthe lower passageway, said lugs projecting above the upper end of the lower passageway whereby when the valve is in unseated position said valve head will abut against the upper ends of said lugs. v

4. As an article of manufacture, a valve cage assembly for floating and cementing devices, said assembly comprising a cylindrical housing having a port formed concentrically in one end thereof, a valve seat formed at the inner end of said port, a cylinder connecited to the opposite end of the housing an mem er having a valve head arranged interiorly of the housing and a valve stem projecting concentrically of said cylinder, a plurality of radial lugs formed inte al with the cylinder and pro ecting radially inwardly equal distances whereby to form a guide for said valve stem and an abutment for said valve head, said valve head being of a diameter less than the interior diameter of said cylinder to enable circulation through said cylinder from said port when the valve head abuts against said lugs.

5. As an article of manufacture, a valve cage assembly for floating and cementing devices, said assembly comprising a cylindrical housinghavin a port formed concentrically in one end thereof, a valve seat formed at the inner end of said port, a cylinder connected to the opposite end of the housing and projecting coaxially therefrom, a valve member having a valve ead arranged interiorly of the housing and a valve stem projecting concentrically of said cylinder, a plurality of radial lugs formed integral with the cylinder and projecting radially inwardly equal distances whereby to form a guide for said valve stem, said valve stem being comparatively large in diameter and hollow, the end of said valve stem opposite the valve head being open to permit the entrance of fluid therein, the other end of the valve stem being closed by the valve head said valve head being conical in form and of a diameter less than the interior diameter of said cylinder, said lugs projectin slightly into said housing beyond the end 0 the cylinder whereby said valve head will abut thereagainst when in unseated position.

REUBEN C. BAKER.

rojecting coaxially therefrom, a valve 

